First Choice Services has operated the WV Tobacco Quitline since 2017. The Quitline is part of the national 1-800-QUIT-NOW program, supported by the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Quitline offers individuals a free or low-cost, confidential, and convenient way to begin tobacco cessation. Any West Virginia resident can call the Quitline to determine eligibility. Most individuals who have Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, or are uninsured can receive services. Callers who have private insurance will first be screened to ensure that their plan does not contain its own cessation program. Callers who do not have insurance are automatically screened for Medicaid, and if not eligible, receive coverage for the cessation program through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ (DHHR) Bureau for Public Health. Enrollees receive educational material, eight weeks of nicotine replacement therapy (patches, lozenges, gum) and/or medication (e.g., Chantix) to assist in the cessation process. Additionally, enrollees receive four coaching calls from certified tobacco coaches and are invited to call a WV Tobacco Quitline Coach for extra support at any point in the quitting process. In 2021, the WV Tobacco Quitline recorded 9,397calls. Of those, 5,222 enrolled in the Quitline program.
Callers are screened for participation using the Minimum Data Set Questions developed by the North American Quitline Consortium and any additional screens indicated for special populations. WV Tobacco Quitline staff complete the intake, enter clinical and demographic data using a HIPAA-secure database, coordinate benefits and shipping with patient insurance, and complete coaching and follow-up calls. The Quitline operates with live call, text and chat services for a total of 64 hours per week. Voicemails left after-hours are returned the following business day.
The WV Tobacco Quitline offers an easy-to-use website, WVTobaccoQuitline.com, and promotes the program through social media. The program’s cloud-based faxing system allows West Virginia health care professionals, medical offices, dental offices, behavioral health care providers, or community organizations to fax referrals to the Quitline securely. The Quitline partnered with WVU Information Technology Services to embed a fax referral form into the electronic health record system to facilitate immediate referrals from any WVU medical facility. In 2022, the WV Tobacco Quitline plans to leverage its resources to assist the DHHR’s Division of Tobacco Prevention in tackling tobacco use, focusing especially on the rise of tobacco use among youth.
First Choice Services attends over 100 events per year to promote its helplines and programs, including the WV Tobacco Quitline, creating thousands of opportunities to disseminate information about the program to individuals, businesses, and community groups.
To learn more about the WV Tobacco Quitline, call 1-800-QUITNOW or email WVTobaccoQuitline@FirstChoiceServices.org.